Must-Read: Taking Care of Your Penis

Think about your car for a minute. Think about how you get it washed, how you get it checked out regularly at the mechanic, how you fill it up with gasoline as often as you can, how you check the oil, how you keep the interior nice and clean and free of any wrappers. Now think about how you get it checked out by a mechanic the first time you hear any kind of noise at all, how you wouldn’t be able to sleep without some grease monkey giving it the once over if there was some weird sound when you start breaking. Now, think about how much time you spend getting that checked out compared to how often you “service” the mechanics of your own pride and joy: that penis of yours.

Which is why today we’re heading to Men’s Health’s guide to how to keep your penis in tip-top shape. Among the pieces of advice they’re giving us, the owners of penii around the world:

Lose the Belly

Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly to achieve ideal body weight and eliminate the fat around your gut. Abdominal fat blocks the testosterone that should be available to you, which in turn affects sexual functioning. A fat gut is a bad marker for overall health–including your sexual health. Your penis is a barometer for your heart and artery health or a “canary in the coal mine” that can warn you of impending trouble. That’s because a penile artery is quite a bit narrower than a coronary artery. If plaque and artery hardening is starting to occur, it’ll often show up first by affecting your erection.

Who knew some extra weight would end up hurting the most important appendage of them all? Head on over to the link above to check out the rest of the tips. And then start figuring out how to get your tip in there!